


If Christine had chosen the phantom

by Luveverlark



Category: Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber
Genre: Dungeon, F/M, Love, Music, angel - Freeform, fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 05:58:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10353690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luveverlark/pseuds/Luveverlark





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lord_of_the_phantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lord_of_the_phantom/gifts).



Christine looked into the face of her horrified Raoul, who stood knee-deep in the water, pinned against the gate, rope tight around his neck. She then turned to the face of the phantom, with his dark, wet hair that hung around his head, the white mask that covered the horrible marks on his face, the deep eyes that seemed able to stare straight into her and know what she was thinking.   
Christine swallowed hard. The choice she made now could determine her whole future. What kind of future did she want?  
Even if she could get Raoul out alive (without choosing Erik), that would mean a quiet, settled life, which is what almost any woman would want, but if she stayed with the phantom, she'd have a dramatic life, of adventure and excitement.  
She couldn't forgive herself if Raoul died, either. Whatever her choice would be, she would want both men to be safe.. she felt tied to each in a different way.  
Raoul was her friend.  
The phantom was her angel of music, her dark, mysterious admirer who, despite half a mask covering a gruesome face, she had grown to care for.   
Had she made her choice? She couldn't decide... she didn't want to make the wrong choice...  
"Christine," she heard Raoul say quietly. "Just let me die... you don't have to stay with this awful... beast." His words echoed in her head. Awful... beast, awful... beast, awful... beast....  
Is that what Erik was? A beast? Was he just a monster hiding behind a mask? He had strangled that man, and he may have killed more than him. Everyone thought the phantom was a monster. Maybe he acted out because he was lonely, and just didn't know how to show it...  
"Please, Christine," Raoul pleaded.   
Christine felt tears coming to her eyes. She looked from Raoul to the phantom. He looked impatient, nervous, desperate, hopeless, lonely....  
She took another breath, and then took a step closer to Eric. She tilted her head to the side slightly, taking him in. As she stepped closer to him, he let in a ragged breath, and a tears filled up in the corners of his eyes, running down his face.   
She leaned forward and kissed him, and when she did he let out a sigh of what seemed to be relief...  
When he let go of her, he whispered, "You can go. Just be quick before I change my mind."  
"No," she whispered back. "I want to stay."  
Raoul let out a cry, and said, "No, Christine, he'll do something awful to you! He'll kill you! Christine, no, just let him kill me!"  
"I would never hurt Christine!" Erik cried, making the room rattle a bit.   
"It's okay Raoul, just go," Christine said quickly. "Before he kills you anyway."  
"So be it," Raoul snarled. "I don't care. But I don't want you to die, so get out of here!"  
Christine shook her head.  
The phantom was smiling, and crying slightly at the same time.  
"Do you...... want to stay?" Raoul said, terror and anger in his eyes.  
Christine bit her lip, feeling her cheeks burn as both of them turned to see her reply.  
"Yes," Christine admitted. "I do."  
Raoul let out a sob, and the phantom held Christine in a tight embrace.  
"Will you go release him?" Erik whispered.  
"Okay," Christine said, and he let go of her. She got in the tiny boat and rowed over to him, beginning to untie the rope.  
"Christine, you don't have to do this for me," Raoul whispered.  
"I'm not," Christine replied, letting him out. "I'm doing it for me."  
Raoul glared at her. "Why?" he asked. "I thought that you and I had something special. Now you're telling me you like that-"  
"Stop it," Christine scolded. "Don't call him anything again."  
"You like him?" Raoul asked angrily.  
"I do," Christine said. "I do like him."  
"You know, liking isn't enough-"  
"Goodbye, Raoul!" she said angrily, and he shut his mouth.  
He glared at the phantom, before starting to walk away. That was when Christine heard a faint sound of metal, and Raoul had turned around, springting toward the gate with a sword raised high.  
He struck the side, and it jerked open. Christine screamed as he cut her arm, keeping her from stopping him as he ran at the phantom.  
"Christine!" Erik cried, seeing the blood running down her arm.  
"Raoul! Please, stop!" Christine cried. Tears began rolling down her cheeks, and, though she applied pressure hard on her arm, it still hurt horribly.  
The phantom grabed the rope, and swung it at Raoul. Raoul dodged this, and threw his sword at Eric.  
Missed.  
Erik swung the rope again, and this time Raoul sliced it in half with his sword. Despite the throbbing wound on her arm, Christine knew it couldn't end like this. She got in the boat, quickly rowing it toward the shore.  
Raoul began walking slowly toward the phantom, sword in hand. "You know, I always knew you were trouble. You could never have made Christine happy. You think that with that..." he gestured toward the mask, "thing on your face, and whatever horrific stuff is under it, you could have pleased Christine as much as I could? No. You're a lowly worm, with no heart, no soul, no-"  
"Arrrrg!" Raoul let out a shout as Christine lunged at him, knocking him to the ground in his surprise. She grabbed his sword, and pointed it at him.  
"Even if I had doubts before," she said angrily. "I know now that I did make the right choice. YOU are the monster, Raoul. And I could never love you."  
Raoul glared up at her, and said, "This is pointless. Just come home with me, and we'll forget that this ever happened-"  
"I am NOT coming with you!" Christine screamed, and she swumng the sword at Raoul. He rolled over, stood up, and fled to the gate.  
"You're crazy. Both of you!" Raoul spit. He ran down the long hall, all the time screaming things like, "I'll be back!" and, "This isn't the end!"  
As Eric pulled her into a long, relieved hug, Christine wondered...  
Would Raoul be back? And if so, were they in trouble?


End file.
